Worlds only USMC Mitchell PBJ-1J Restoration CAF's Semper Fi

[Dan Newcomb]

Thanks Ted but I finally got it to work on my own. I guess I was tired!

Any way here are some airshow pics taken a couple of weeks ago. I hope our crew has done her justice. Tons of hard work and years of dreaming but we are getting soooo close!

What a crew!
Dan

[peter]

How close is she to turning a prop in anger?

[b17engineer]

Any new updates on the PBJ?

[Jeff Nelson]

Hey Marc and Dan,
Short update... Trying to get all our customers taken care of so we can get back out there to finish up. Thinking of late January, depending upon what "disasters" transpire locally.
Jeff

[Dan Newcomb]

We understand Jeff. Get to us when you can.

Dan

[Taylor Stevenson]

Dan,
Did you guys get the second engine O/H'd already or did you guys put the core on the mount for the airshow in those photos?
T

[Dan Newcomb]

Hi Taylor,

Core on the left. New engine on the right. We have a third core up in Idaho. You know anybody interested in this?

http://www.trade-a-plane.com/detail/1723778.html

Best,

Dan

[Warbird Kid]

Any updates?

[Dan Newcomb]

At this stage it is all about getting a new left engine. In the mean time we are doing what we can like installing nose glass and new navigation lights. We still need turret glass and waist glass. We are also making up guns for the tail and cheeks. Avionics, headsets, in plane communications, rear cabin seating and several other issues are being addressed. Our crew has also been doing double duty repairing the Hellcat and fixing a broken SNJ wing. For the cost of two Lexus IS 350s and a Camry we can be in the air in a few months.

D

[Dan Newcomb]

Hi guys,

I know it has been a long time between updates but nothing major to report until now...

We have just acquired our second new engine! We will install it this summer. We still have a lot of work to do before we fly and as always it depends on the money situation. Avionics, electrical completion, plexiglass, and prop overhauls are just a few of the items we need to complete. If and I say if the funding is there we could be in the air before the end of this year. Keep the faith!

Dan

[DH82EH]

Great news Dan. This sure has been a long road. Kudos to you and your crew.

Thanks for the update. She looks magnificent!

Andy Scott

[awesomeuniversal]

very nice thanks for sharing

[Dan Newcomb]

It has been some time since I have done one of these. A lot of things are going on around the hangar these days and most of us have had to help out with things other than the PBJ. That’s OK we don’t mind. As many of you know we never seem to have enough help and several folks do double and triple duty to “keep ‘em flying”. But this is about the PBJ so I will focus on that.

We are in the process of installing all of our remaining plexiglass. The nose glass and the upper gun turret will be in place for next week’s air show at CMA. The turret glass (did I say mucho expensive) is temporarily in place for the show as it will be a few more weeks to get it fitted up properly.

The newly reconditioned instrument panels have been installed in the cockpit and we are negotiating with vendors regarding purchase or donation of necessary avionics.

We have acquired the necessary parts for all of our seating and we will soon begin installation.

The mind numbing job of rigging the flight controls continues and soon will be completed.

Just two days ago we obtained four nose gun blisters complete with guns and suppressors from Aero Trader. Now I want all of you to know that these are much higher quality than we were originally budgeted for, twice the cost in fact, but thanks to John Syrdahl’s insistence that we purchase them and his generous $2000.00 donation they will soon adorn our PBJ!

And finally to end this report yes, that is our brand new engine soon to be completed and in just a few weeks we will begin installing it on the left wing!

To all of you that have stuck with us for so many years thank you! We are in the home stretch and now we need your support more than ever to put us over the finish line.

With your help in a matter of months the world’s only true PBJ-1J BuNo 35857 will fly.

Dan

[CAPFlyer]

Great update Dan. Glad to see so much work completed!

[Alan Brooks]

It has been some time since I have done one of these. A lot of things are going on around the hangar these days and most of us have had to help out with things other than the PBJ. That’s OK we don’t mind. As many of you know we never seem to have enough help and several folks do double and triple duty to “keep ‘em flying”. But this is about the PBJ so I will focus on that.

We are in the process of installing all of our remaining plexiglass. The nose glass and the upper gun turret will be in place for next week’s air show at CMA. The turret glass (did I say mucho expensive) is temporarily in place for the show as it will be a few more weeks to get it fitted up properly.

The newly reconditioned instrument panels have been installed in the cockpit and we are negotiating with vendors regarding purchase or donation of necessary avionics.

We have acquired the necessary parts for all of our seating and we will soon begin installation.

The mind numbing job of rigging the flight controls continues and soon will be completed.

Just two days ago we obtained four nose gun blisters complete with guns and suppressors from Aero Trader. Now I want all of you to know that these are much higher quality than we were originally budgeted for, twice the cost in fact, but thanks to John Syrdahl’s insistence that we purchase them and his generous $2000.00 donation they will soon adorn our PBJ!

And finally to end this report yes, that is our brand new engine soon to be completed and in just a few weeks we will begin installing it on the left wing!

To all of you that have stuck with us for so many years thank you! We are in the home stretch and now we need your support more than ever to put us over the finish line.

With your help in a matter of months the world’s only true PBJ-1J BuNo 35857 will fly.

Dan

Great job Dan-O and SoCal members..... Another long term project just about completed..... superb! On the turret glass, last quote that I know was $20k......yikes.......great job...... do you guys have the rest of the tanks purchased and installed, wiring completed, and the props ready to go to the shop? Yes, I did read your note, but just really like it when your pour out the additional info......
soon...........#6 will be flying (CAF B-25/PBJ).....
alan